Reclaiming Spring
by goldpiece
Summary: After a loss in her life, Temperance and Booth take a trip to find balance in their lives once more.


_AN: Normally I'd write something longer, but as this was a challenge piece with certain parameters, I did the best I could with what I was challenged to write. The challenge issued by K. Elisabeth is as follows: Write a B/B fic that has no dialogue whatsoever. No more than half can be introspection or internal thoughts and you have to use as much description as possible. Since descriptive writing is my weak point when I write, I thought that this would be a good way to push my abilities. Please read and let me know what you think of this short little one shot._

Brennan stood on the edge of the rocks as she looked down onto the waves crashing against their base. A warm breeze blew over her in the fresh spring air, but despite the warmth, she shivered. The constant ache that had set in kept the warmth at bay and she rubbed her arms as goose bumps erupted over her arms. The immediate thought that the small bumps were a biological reaction to the cold in an attempt to warm the body ran through her head just before she was enveloped in a coat.

Booth. He'd been the one thing holding her together the past few months. It just didn't seem to be possible that she could mourn for something she'd just found out about, but as she'd lain in the hospital bed receiving the news of a miscarriage, a dull ache filled her chest, making it impossible to breathe.

She sighed and leaned back in his embrace, her gaze sweeping farther out to sea. Distantly the spray of whales appeared on the horizon, the water barely disturbed as their large backs broke the surface of the water on their north bound migration to summer breeding grounds.

Temperance closed her eyes as Booth drew his arms around her waist and kissed her hair, nuzzling his face into the crook of her neck and inhaling her scent. She didn't deserve him, she really didn't. He'd stayed by her through the walls thrown up after the loss of their child. He held onto her as those walls began to slowly crumble, and he was her lifeline now.

She pulled away from him and turned away from the rocks, picking her way carefully back to the main trail. Around her, tall redwoods sheltered the rocky shoreline, sunlight dappling through their tall heights. These redwoods and the nearby sequoias were some of the oldest trees on earth, and some of the tallest, sheltering the forest floor from the elements. Just like any place on earth, the depths of the forest didn't stop life from overcoming. The base was filled with life, birds, mammals, insects and other plants filled almost every available niche, each an ecosystem to themselves.

Temperance paused as she looked over her shoulder. Booth was following behind her, taking the trail much more carefully than she had. She smiled and waited for him to catch up with her. Through everything, he'd been there. He was the one constant in her life through all of her trials. He'd returned her family, and added to it. He was her best friend and partner in everything. As he reached her, she held out her hand, their fingers interlocking as he took it and brought it to his lips to kiss.

The pair continued along in the quiet of the day, feeling small amidst the grandeur surrounding them. It was as though they were the only two humans on earth, and Adam and Eve of sorts. The difference of course was that Eve proved to be prolific in the race to populate the world. She'd been able to have viable children. Of course one of those children turned out to be the world's first murderer, and in order to propagate the species they also would have had to marry their siblings. She thought about bringing it up to Booth, but for once refrained.

Looking around at as the trees began to thin and the light fell through brighter, she knew what her partner would think of all of this. He was a religious man, holding firm to his beliefs in god. He'd see everything around them as a miracle from the granite rock jutting from the ground to the smallest blooms fighting for their share of light.

Booth pulled her to him as they reached a clearing that led down to a beach. A small waterfall fed down from the cliffs and onto the beach where a colony of fur seals had taken up residence. Amidst the clamor and noise of the adults, one single pup stayed next to its mother's side. Booth pointed it out to Temperance, and as she watched it, the pup turned its head and stared back.

Time held as long as the gaze did, neither moving or making a sound. Finally, after what seemed an eternity and a moment, the pup turned away, seeking out its mother for some milk. Temperance slid her hands down to her abdomen and rested them there as she continued to watch the seals on the beach.

A warm breeze once again washed over them as they stood on the edge of the beach, waves washing up to their feet before escaping back into the Pacific. The eruption of flowers that dotted the cliffs and hid in the depths of the surrounding forest showed that spring had come in its full glory. Gone were the cold fogs of winter and the storms that battered the cliffs. With spring came new life, returning the cycle of the seasons to its beginning once again.

Brennan turned to look at Booth as he continued to stare out onto the vast ocean before them. His strength radiated off of him as easily as his compassion shone out of his eyes. The man seemed to fit so well into their surroundings. City life seemed to diminish such an active individual to just another human. He was so much more than that, a true Paladin. He was a protector, a mentor, a father. He was also the rock to which she clung.

Sensing her intense stare, Booth turned again to look at Temperance, his brow furrowing as he tried to read into her expression. She wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned into him, relishing the safety she felt in his arms. He was here with her despite the tumultuous emotions she'd had lately, despite the fact that she'd tried to keep him at arm's length. He was her shelter through the difficult winter, and now he was with her to guide her safely into the spring.

Smiling, Temperance turned her head up and met his lips with her own. It was time for her to let go of the past. While the ache of loss was sure to linger, it was time to shed the coldness and death of the winter and return to the spring and bring forth a new life of their own.


End file.
